General Map of Central Asia: X

Description

General-Karte von Central-Asien (General map of Central Asia) is a large, detailed map produced in 1874 by the Military Geographic Institute of Vienna. The map is on 12 separate plates, numbered I–XII; a 13th plate gives an overview and a numbered guide to how the parts fit together. The map covers a huge expanse, bounded to the northwest by the region of Russia north of the Caspian Sea; to the southwest by present-day Saudi Arabia and Oman; to the northeast by western Mongolia; and to the southeast by Gujarat, India. The title, key to symbols, and explanation of abbreviations are on Plate X, in the lower left-hand (southwestern) corner. Seven scales in different distance units (English, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Persian, Chinese, and metric) are provided, at the bottom of Plate XII. The features shown include cities and towns; national and provincial borders; towers, fortresses, and ruins; existing and projected railroads; telegraph lines; and roads. According to the title, the map is “revised with the best and newest Russian and English sources.” Russia and the British Empire were rivals for influence in Central Asia in what came to be called “the Great Game,” and they had special expertise about the region gained from scientific and military expeditions and commercial contacts.